The best authentication services, according to hackers
8 authentication services recommended in Hacker News comments over the past year, ranked by how many separate people recommend each one.
All authentication services
- Better AuthOpen-source auth library that people praise for developer experience, plugins and keeping user data in your own database. Critics mention breaking patch releases and worry about its cloud business.46recommend
- Ory HydraOpen-source OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect server that people self-host, praised for running with very low CPU and memory use.22recommend
- ClerkDevelopers recommend Clerk as a quick, off-the-shelf way to add user login and accounts, saving time over building auth in-house. Critics say its pricing gets steep for side projects and its design has limits.19recommend
- AWS CognitoCheap auth that works day to day once you get past confusing setup and docs, which critics agree are the main drawback.18recommend
- Auth0Developers recommend it for easy integration, clear developer experience and handing user security to a managed service. Most common caveat: difficult documentation and vendor lock-in with aggressive sales.16recommend
- Sign in with ApplePeople recommend it as a low-friction login for sites, and its Hide My Email alias keeps real addresses private. Critics worry about account lock-out and that Apple controls the service.7recommend
- WorkOSDevelopers praise its flexible auth flows, built-in SAML and SCIM mapping, and generous free tier. Critics report SCIM integrations breaking at times.7recommend
- FusionAuthDevelopers recommend FusionAuth as a reliable authentication service that can be self-hosted, run in your own cloud, or operated by the vendor.5recommend